Posting about my life
Annnnnnd we're back.
I'm not dead, and I do remember how to post something other than news clips, book reviews, and the like. This, for once, will be a good old fashioned, general update.
Mostly because I have one hour left of work and I am bored out of my mind. Speaking of work, I guess I'll start there. One mass employee complaint and firing, a few fruitless job searches, and a $3 pay-cut later, I am now working at the periodicals section of SMU's library. The story is too long and long ago to go into detail about, and I think I've bored most of you with my sad story already, so suffice it to say a bunch of us got fed up w/ our new boss at the lab last semester and filed a complaint, which backfired on us and caused most of us to "quit/not be re-hired" (it was more like a firing, but they have ways of couching these actions in less unpleasant words). At any rate, thanks to one of my co-workers from the lab, I have managed to get another job here at the library, with a very nice boss and some nice co-workers, though it is dreadfully boring and barely passes minimum wage. Alas. Something is better than nothing.
After my summer of craziness (in reality , intense boredom and disappointment) in Hakodate, I came back to a cancelled business/culture Japanese class, so that I don't even get to build on what I learned out there. Bah.
My classes this semester consist of one on the scientific method and debunking pseudo science (awesome), the last semester of Hindi (yet another term of unenlightening and woefully old-fashioned busywork which I only keep up because I feel rather indebted to the instructor, who is a wonderful wonderful woman), a 3-hour once-a-week seminar on int'l relations (which has made me realise a hatred for my fellow polisci majors that I never had before), and ballroom (the folk dances are the best part... omg TROIKA). And then, as a result of a complicated scheduling mix-up whose details I shan't bore you with, I am taking an independent studies course w/ MY DAD largely to consist of papers and practice tests...
Practice tests for the Foreign Service Exam, WHICH I AM GOING TO TAKE IN DECEMBER AND FAIL BECAUSE I CANNOT FIND THE TIME OR THE RESOURCES TO STUDY AND AUGHHHHHHHHH. More problematically, I haven't got any alternatives, and I will need a job once I graduate anyway b/c the hiring turn-around for the Foreign Service is 6 months anyway. Buggeration.
What else? Campus life is boring this semester b/c most of my friendlies have gone and graduated, such that the first day of school I felt like a freshman w/ no one to talk to or eat lunch with. Sad, sad state of affairs. As a result, I try to minimise my time on campus as much as possible.
*sigh*
On the more personal side of things, life at home has seen a bit of turbulence lately. And, that's all I'll say on that, for now. And probably forever, considering how often I update.
BUT. AHHH. MOST AMAZING EVENT IN MY LIFE OF LATE. I. MET. STEVEN. PINKER. AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!
You may remember my ramblings on this man in the past. Or you may not. He is a psychologist at Harvard and writes wonderful wonderful books about language and the brain. I was a total dork when I met him too. ("The Language Instinct is one of my favorite books!" and that sort of tripe. Auuugh how embarrassing!) I think it's a sign of true nerdiness when you treat famous intellectuals like rock stars. Sheesh.
And just before I sign out now, a few book recommendations, b/c holy shit I've actually been reading entire books.
I'm not dead, and I do remember how to post something other than news clips, book reviews, and the like. This, for once, will be a good old fashioned, general update.
Mostly because I have one hour left of work and I am bored out of my mind. Speaking of work, I guess I'll start there. One mass employee complaint and firing, a few fruitless job searches, and a $3 pay-cut later, I am now working at the periodicals section of SMU's library. The story is too long and long ago to go into detail about, and I think I've bored most of you with my sad story already, so suffice it to say a bunch of us got fed up w/ our new boss at the lab last semester and filed a complaint, which backfired on us and caused most of us to "quit/not be re-hired" (it was more like a firing, but they have ways of couching these actions in less unpleasant words). At any rate, thanks to one of my co-workers from the lab, I have managed to get another job here at the library, with a very nice boss and some nice co-workers, though it is dreadfully boring and barely passes minimum wage. Alas. Something is better than nothing.
After my summer of craziness (in reality , intense boredom and disappointment) in Hakodate, I came back to a cancelled business/culture Japanese class, so that I don't even get to build on what I learned out there. Bah.
My classes this semester consist of one on the scientific method and debunking pseudo science (awesome), the last semester of Hindi (yet another term of unenlightening and woefully old-fashioned busywork which I only keep up because I feel rather indebted to the instructor, who is a wonderful wonderful woman), a 3-hour once-a-week seminar on int'l relations (which has made me realise a hatred for my fellow polisci majors that I never had before), and ballroom (the folk dances are the best part... omg TROIKA). And then, as a result of a complicated scheduling mix-up whose details I shan't bore you with, I am taking an independent studies course w/ MY DAD largely to consist of papers and practice tests...
Practice tests for the Foreign Service Exam, WHICH I AM GOING TO TAKE IN DECEMBER AND FAIL BECAUSE I CANNOT FIND THE TIME OR THE RESOURCES TO STUDY AND AUGHHHHHHHHH. More problematically, I haven't got any alternatives, and I will need a job once I graduate anyway b/c the hiring turn-around for the Foreign Service is 6 months anyway. Buggeration.
What else? Campus life is boring this semester b/c most of my friendlies have gone and graduated, such that the first day of school I felt like a freshman w/ no one to talk to or eat lunch with. Sad, sad state of affairs. As a result, I try to minimise my time on campus as much as possible.
*sigh*
On the more personal side of things, life at home has seen a bit of turbulence lately. And, that's all I'll say on that, for now. And probably forever, considering how often I update.
BUT. AHHH. MOST AMAZING EVENT IN MY LIFE OF LATE. I. MET. STEVEN. PINKER. AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!
You may remember my ramblings on this man in the past. Or you may not. He is a psychologist at Harvard and writes wonderful wonderful books about language and the brain. I was a total dork when I met him too. ("The Language Instinct is one of my favorite books!" and that sort of tripe. Auuugh how embarrassing!) I think it's a sign of true nerdiness when you treat famous intellectuals like rock stars. Sheesh.
And just before I sign out now, a few book recommendations, b/c holy shit I've actually been reading entire books.
- World on Fire by Amy Chua: I knew it, IIIII knew it, capitalism is EVOL.
- Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time by Michael Shermer: Debunking everything from Ayn Rand to aliens. Awesome and makes you feel smart.
- Misquoting Jesus by Bart D. Ehrman: Proof positive biblical literalism is fundamentally moronic.